Wow Dick Gordon

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Prioritize Aklan

   

Senator
Richard J. Gordon, the principal volunteer and Chairman of the
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), distributed 1,035 packs of relief
supplies to the citizens of Aklan last Saturday, June 28 which were
airlifted by US Navy helicopters. Each relief supply contained 4 kilos
of rice, 4 cans of sardines and 4 packs of noodles.

“The 1,035
packs of relief goods we distributed last Saturday, with the help of
the US Navy, were just the initial supplies out of the 7,000 relief
supplies we will be sending to Aklan. We’ve sent an additional 5,965
packs of relief goods through a Sulpicio Lines vessel bound for Aklan
which departed 7am, Monday morning,” Gordon said.

“We are
continually working to get support from here and abroad to provide our
countrymen ravaged by Typhoon Frank with the necessary supplies they
need. We will not rest until we are sure that those needs are met,” he
said.

“So far we have already raised P7,322,294.21 from foreign
donations, P2,870,000.00 from local donations and P557,000.00 from
individual donations. This brings it to a total of P10,749,294.21,” he
said.

“We have already talked with USAID, AUSAID and the IFRC
for relief donations. USAID has already approved a $100,000 donation.
We are just waiting for its release. The proceeds will be used to
purchase Jerry cans, blankets and mosquito nets. USAID boxes will also
be given to the victims of the calamity,” he added.

MANILA,
Philippines — Donations to the Philippine National Red Cross to
augment its relief and rehabilitation efforts can be made in person, by
delivery, through banks and credit cards, online, and via text messages.

Senator
Richard Gordon, PNRC chairman said, the most urgent needs of typhoon
"Frank" (international codename) victims were: food items like rice,
noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans,
and potable water;

Medicines like paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins, and medications to treat diarrheal diseases;

Non-food items
like bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic
mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water
purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and laundry soap; and for its
rehabilitation programs, shelter materials for house repair.

Gordon listed the ways the Red Cross would accept donations:

Cash or check donations, which are the preferred donations of the
PNRC, can be sent to the national headquarters of the Philippine
National Red Cross in Manila. "We could also arrange for donation
pick-up," he said.

Bank deposits can be made at the following accounts of Philippine
National Red Cross:

• Metrobank, Port Area Branch
Peso account number: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar account number: 151-2-151-00218-2
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

• Bank of the Philippine Islands, Port Area Branch
Peso account number: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: Current

• Bank of the Philippine Islands, UN Branch
Dollar account number: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: Savings
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

To
properly acknowledge donations through banks, donors are advised "to
fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979
with your name, address and contact number," Gordon said.

Those who want to donate using their credit card
are advised to fax to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575 the following
information: Name of card member, billing address, contact numbers
(phone and mobile), credit card number, expiration date, CCV2/CVC2
(last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address,
amount to be donated.

Online donations may also be made at
http://www.redcross.org.ph the PNRC website.

For SMS or text donations, just text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (for Globe) or 4483 (Smart);
For G-cash, text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882.

Local in-kind donations could also be sent to the PNRC national headquarters in Manila or donation pickups may be arranged.

For international in-kind, the following are required:
1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC
2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original
Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway
Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The
Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary
General Corazon Alma de Leon, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.

Gordon
said the PNRC would not accept rotten, damaged, expired or decayed
goods. "Though we appreciate your generosity, the PNRC also discourages
donations of old clothes as we have more than enough to go around," he
said.

For questions, Gordon also gave out the PNRC hotline 143 or 527.0000.

Red Cross information, contact nos. for ‘Frank’ donations
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:20:00 06/25/2008

For
23-year-old Jose Mari Garbo and company, their training and experience
as seafarers equipped them with the necessary skills that helped them
survive the ordeal which they went through after their ferry Princess
of the Stars capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon last Saturday.

Garbo,
one of 10 seafarers who survived typhoon "Frank" over the weekend, was
among the 28 passengers of the ill-fated ship who were treated at the
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) head office in South Harbor,
Manila.

"We (seamen) were more organized because we knew what to
do. We knew how to balance. There were times that the raft would be
forced to fold because it was being battered by the strong waves. We
would then put our feet on the edge of the raft to keep it from
folding," recalled Garbo of their experience in the lifeboat.

"Unlike
other passengers who jumped into the sea at a high elevation, I decided
to wait for the ship to get closer to the sea before I decided to jump
because I remembered in the movie ‘Titanic’ that some of the passengers
who jumped at a higher elevation hit the ship’s railings. It was safer
if I jumped closer to the sea," Garbo said.

Garbo shared that
whenever their raft would be filled with sea and rainwater, they would
use their shoes and plastic bags to remove the water, adding that this
was necessary so their boat would not sink.

They spent 22 hours at sea before they finally saw land.

PNRC chairman Sen. Richard Gordon commended the 10 seafarers and other survivors for their heroism.

"One by one they rescued other passengers and they helped each other get through the harrowing experience," Gordon said.

He
added that the "wounds they (survivors) sustained were caused by their
desire to survive. It was man against nature, men against themselves
and in the end they conquered themselves in order to survive," he said.

Gordon
said that despite the economic difficulty in the area, the residents
gave the stranded passengers slippers, clothes and food.

"We
took down their contact numbers. Hopefully, when we have returned home
and have money we would be able to repay them for helping us," said
Garbo.

Gordon said that he was supposed to join President Arroyo
on her trip to the United States where he would discuss the Veterans
Bill with US legislators.

But he decided to stay behind to attend to the victims of the passenger ship.

Philippine Star Headlines
Seafarers on ship: We knew what to do
By Evelyn Macairan
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080624140&type=2